Insulative regions are commonly utilized in circuitry constructions to electrically isolate conductive components. For instance, an insulative dielectric layer can be provided between capacitor electrodes to form a capacitor construction. As another example, an insulative material can be provided between conductive lines to electrically isolate the lines from one another. The insulative materials can comprise, for example, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide and undoped silicon. Although each of these materials has good insulative properties, the materials also have high dielectric constants which can lead to capacitive coupling between proximate conductive elements. For instance, silicon dioxide has a dielectric constant of about 4, silicon nitride has a dielectric constant of about 8, and undoped silicon has a dielectric constant of about 12.
A void region or space between two conducting materials also serves as a dielectric and offers the lowest possible dielectric constant, having a value equal to 1. It is noted that a void space can comprise a vacuum, but typically comprises some gases. A void space can alternatively be referred to as a free space. Regardless of whether the term “void space” or “free space” is utilized herein, such refers to a space that is empty of materials in a solid or liquid phase. It would be desirable to develop methods of utilizing void regions as insulators in semiconductor constructions.
In another aspect of the prior art, small, precisely configured void regions can be formed by micro-machine technology. Such void regions can have a number of applications, including, for example, utilization as micro-fluidic flow columns for gas chromatography. It would be desirable to develop alternative methods of forming small, precisely configured void regions.